Monday, 16 October 2017

Declaration of SAATH Conference 2017

Several prominent liberal, progressive
and nationalist intellectuals, human rights and social media activists and
public figures from Pakistan gathered in London for a conference on ‘Pakistan:
The Way Forward’, organised under the banner of South Asians Against Terrorism
and for Human Rights (SAATH), co-hosted by US-based columnist Dr Mohammad Taqi
and former Pakistan ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani.

The gathering had to be arranged, like
last year, away from Pakistan because of the threats to the security of free
thinkers in the country. Participants (list attached) expressed grave concern
on Pakistan’s continuing crisis-ridden trajectory, of which the increasing
threat of global isolation as a consequence of the continuation and expansion
of proxy wars in our neighbourhood holds centre-stage. There are other equally
important areas of worry.

The widening circle of repression of
critical, dissenting voices to the state’s narrative have led to shrinking
space for liberal, secular, progressive ideas and pluralism. There are constant
threats to democracy and to nationalists in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. NGOs, human rights defenders and individuals are being victimised.
Major political parties are demonstrating an inability to prioritise protection
of human rights and social justice. Attempts to mainstream extremist and
terrorist organisations is a particularly dangerous development and a threat to
the democratic polity. State support for, and tolerance of, groups considered
terrorist by the rest of the world remains a serious concern. Unelected
institutions of state challenging the democratic mandate of the elected
government, in keeping with a persistent pattern, continues to be a serious
source of apprehension.

To establish a true democracy in
Pakistan, which is a multi-national state, the federating units must be given
not only maximum political autonomy but also control over their natural
resources. The National Finance Commission Award should be revisited
giving more weightage to underdevelopment of the provinces and their
contribution to the national exchequer.

This forum recognises that one of the
reasons Pakistan’s democracy has remained tenuous is that while the Centre has
denied rights to the provinces, the provinces have failed in the devolution of
power to the local governments.

Therefore, this forum demands that the
provinces should activate the Provincial Finance Commissions and allocate
maximum resources to the local governments. It also demands that the local
governments should be given 25% of the royalty and the profits of natural
resources exploited from their respective areas.

Participants decided that Pakistan
needs a new national narrative that is based on the consent of its people
rather than on religious hatred, militarism and militancy. Participants of
SAATH will set up two secretariats, one in Pakistan and the other abroad for
the diaspora, to help wrestle the idea and identity of Pakistan away from the
obscurantist forces.

Participants further agreed that:

·Pakistan faces the risk of global isolation
because of its continuing proxy wars in its neighbourhood, widespread
obscurantism, growing intolerance, lack of rule of law, along with official
support for extremism and general disregard for human rights.

·Pakistan
ranks 147 out of 188 countries in UN’s Human Development Index and 143 out of
144 in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap report. It is the world’s sixth
largest country by population with the world’s sixth largest military but its
economy is 26thin the world by size of GDP on
PPP basis and 42nd in nominal terms.
Pakistan lags behind most of its neighbours on the Human Development Index and
the Human Capital Index.

·It is sad and disconcerting that
instead of dealing with these issues with the help of fresh ideas espoused by
broad-minded Pakistanis, the Pakistani state continues to appease or nurture
religious extremists, propagate or allow the propagation of religious extremism
and allow it free spread in society, and persistently misinform the people of
Pakistan about the realities of our country.

·Instead of facing these harsh realities, the
Pakistani people are fed a steady diet of conspiracy theories and exaggerated
threats to national security from other nations and countries.

·The Pakistani state,
regrettably, expresses a continued willingness to engage
with religious extremists and terrorists, and sometimes even talks
of formally inducting Jihadi terrorist groups into the state’s
paramilitary structure and lately, mainstreaming extremist and terrorist
organisations, but remains hostile to liberal, progressive and nationalist
groupings within Pakistan.

·Political parties representing the Baloch,
Mohajir, Sindhi and Pashtun segments of Pakistan’s population have been
targeted by both state repression and hostile propaganda aimed at
delegitimising them even when they have won clear electoral mandates
from the people.

·The state also pursues repressive policies
towards the population-wise smaller provinces and nationalities and their elected
representatives.

·It is time for Pakistan’s rich and powerful
ruling elite to own up and take responsibility for the failed policies of the
past instead of promoting conspiracy theories through manipulation of the
mainstream mass media and increasing repression of the social media.

·Participants of today’s conference are a
diverse array of people, united by the desire for a pluralist and tolerant,
liberal, secular and progressive Pakistan that abides by internationally
recognized human rights, allows full and free debate, treats all its people and
nationalities fairly and is no longer seen around the world as an incubator for
terrorism.

·Only a pluralist Pakistan at peace with itself
and its neighbours, fully respectful of human rights of all, including religious
minorities, would be able to gain international respect, have a positive global
and local image and avoid further descent into chaos.

·We resolve to stand with and assist each other
to protect a pluralist, liberal, secular and progressive vision of Pakistan and
to let the world know that such a vision exists and offers hope for Pakistan’s
future.

·We resolve to protect the legal rights of all
non-extremist groups and political parties, notwithstanding our disagreements
over details and minutiae of policies or personality differences with
individuals and leaders.

·Questioning
state policies is a legitimate right of all Pakistanis. We stand together to
oppose the tendency to label dissident voices as traitors or ‘kafirs’in an effort to shut down debate and discussion
of alternative policies.

About Me

Dr Shabir Choudhry has done extensive research on the issue of Kashmir and Indo Pakistan relations. He passed BA Honours in Politics and History, and Mphil in International Relations (title of the thesis, ‘Kashmir and Partition of India’); and title of his PhD thesis is ‘Kashmir- An issue of a nation not a dispute of a land’.

Apart from this Dr Shabir Choudhry passed Post Graduates Certificates in Education, and NVQ Assessor’s qualifications; and taught English in London.

Political Achievements

Founder member of JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front established in 1977) and got elected as a Press Secretary in 1984.

Became its Secretary General in 1985, and resigned from this post in 1996.

Got elected President of JKLF and Europe in May 1999, and decided not to contest in elections of July 2001.

Said good - bye to the JKLF as it is in many groups and is largely seen as advancing a Pakistani agenda on Kashmir dispute, and set up a new party Kashmir National Party in May 2008.

.

At present, he is:

·Spokesman Kashmir National Party and Director Diplomatic Committee;

·Spokesman for International KashmirAlliance;

·Founder member and Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs;

Previously

·A founder Member and Trustee/ Director of London based registered charity, Kashmir Foundation International and resigned from this position in August 2001.

·Regularly take part in the Sessions of the UN Human Rights (Commission) now Council in Geneva; and address various conferences and seminars to oppose violence and highlight the Kashmir cause.

·Participated in a Round Table Conference on Kashmir, organised by Socialist Group of European Parliament in Brussels in 1993.

·Addressed as a Chief Guest in a seminar on issue of Mangla Dam during the UN Sub Commission’s proceedings in August 2003.

·Addressed as a key - note speaker in a seminar on the issue of Gilgit and Baltistan, organised by Association of British Kashmiris.

·Addressed as a keynote speaker on human rights conference in Paris in 1991.

·Addressed at CambridgeUniversity as a Chief Guest in a conference on Kashmir in 1990.

·Addressed as a keynote speaker at New Delhi conference on Kashmir, which was part of Track Two diplomacy in November 2000.

·In September 2008, addressed a Conference arranged by Interfaith International in Geneva, topic of which was:“Kashmir Issue, Terrorism and Human Rights”.

·Addressed as a speaker in a NGO Conference on Self - Determination in Geneva in August 2000.

·Addressed as a keynote speaker in a fringe meeting of Liberal Democrats at their Annual Conference in Brighton in 1995.

·Participated in World Human Rights Conference in Vienna in 1993.

·Before President Clinton's visit to India and Pakistan in 2000, lead a JKLF delegation to the State Department to discuss Kashmir dispute and situation in South Asia.

·Also had two rounds of meetings with senior State Department officials before President Musharraf’s meeting to Washington in June 2003.

·Apart from that had meetings with senior officials including Ministers of different countries, and also held many meetings with the State Department and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials on number of occasions.

·Played important role in advancing a Kashmiri perspective on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir; and also helped Baroness Emma Nicholson with her report ‘Kashmir: present situation and future prospects’, which was adopted by the European Parliament in May 2007.

·Won first prize in an essay competition in Urdu in 1976. It was organised by High Commission of Pakistan in London, and title of the essay was 'Qaaid-e- Azam's role in Islamic History'.

·Apart from that have addressed conferences in Brussels, Geneva, Toronto, Islamabad, Delhi, and

Publications

·Got first Urdu novel ‘Fareena’ published at the age of eighteen.

·Second Urdu novel ‘Bay-Khataa’ which was about the problems of Asian youths living in UK published in 1983.

·Third Urdu book ‘Pakistan and Kashmiri struggle for independence’ published in 1990.

·Fourth Urdu book is also on Kashmiri struggle, 'Is an independent Kashmir a conspiracy?'

·Apart from that has twenty books and booklets published in English on various aspects of the Kashmiri struggle.

·Recent publications are: Kashmir dispute as I see it

·Different perspective on Kashmir

·JKLF visit to Pakistan Administered Kashmir

·Kashmir Needs Change of Heart

·If not self - determination then what?

·Emma Nicholson report- who has won?

·Struggle for independence, Jihad or proxy war (Introduction by Baroness Emma Nicholson)

·

Future publications

Following books were completed some time ago and shall be published in near future:

In Search of Freedom - My visit to Srinagar and Islamabad

Kashmir and Partition of India

A brief background

Dr Shabir Choudhry was born in a small village called Nakker Shimali (near Panjeri) in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir. He went to UK in 1966, and like other people from the region, holds a dual nationality. He left secondary school in 1970 with no qualifications and began his life as a textile worker.

In 1975 he started part time studies and passed Matriculation from Government High School Panjeri, passed ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels from UK, and resumed full time degree course in 1981, and passed BA (Hons) in Politics and History in 1984.

He continued full time and part time jobs until he got his Mphil. He passed his PGCE (Post Graduates Certificate in Education) in 1990, and then started full time job as a Lecturer. Due to health problems he resigned from teaching in 1999. At present he is self - employed, provides private tuition, translation and interpretation and consultancy.

Through out his adult life he has actively worked for the cause of Kashmir, and even during long illness he effectively carried out his responsibilities as a leader of the JKLF, a ‘prolific writer’ and consistent campaigner of Rights Movement and peace in Jammu and Kashmir and South Asia.